COEUR d'ALENE — Spirited teamwork ran amok with the Animal Allies theme when local students showcased their robotics talents on Saturday.

The Canfield Cougars team demonstrated how their robot Laika, named after the Soviets' dog that was one of the first animals in space and the first animal to orbit the Earth, could traverse obstacles.

"This is a cool way to learn code and hang with friends," said Tyler Deren, an eighth-grader at Canfield Middle School in Coeur d’Alene, while taking a break from the action.

"These are skills you'll need later in life — learning how to compete friendly and accept losing."

Seventeen teams with elementary and middle school students from throughout North Idaho competed during the regional First LEGO League robotics contest hosted by the University of Idaho Extension's 4-H program at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds.

The Xanterra team from Coeur d'Alene emerged as the winner and will advance with other eight other teams from the event that qualified for the state contest at the University of Idaho in Moscow in January. Also advancing from the contest were: I-Bots from Post Falls, Lego Warriors (Post Falls), Seventh Grade Leads (Post Falls), Gizmologists (Coeur d'Alene), Primus Pilus (Post Falls), Robo-Trobo (Hayden), LEGO Friends (Coeur d'Alene) and Microchips (Oldtown).

Canfield's Amanda Thompson, who donned whiskers of a Cougar with her teammates, said the Animal Allies theme was more intriguing than some of the other robotics contests she's competed in.

"It really made it interesting and fun," she said.

Teams, coaches and parents got into the spirit by wearing bright team T-shirts and holiday headgear, chanting during the timed competitions and displaying creative signs of support.

"It gets really loud in here," Teresa Balderrama of the UI Extension Office said with a smile. "It's a really fun way to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)."

In addition to the timed events, students must also make presentations about why they built their robots the way they did.

Kobie DeLeonard, who competed for the I-Bots team from River City Middle School, said he enjoyed the contest because it's a challenge.

"You really have to think, have good teamwork and be really creative," he said. "You have a lot of fun with friends and you work with other teams to solve problems. It's just a great environment to have people cheering you and your teammates on."

Joel Tanguaz, a fifth-grader who competed for the Primus Pilus team from Classical Christian Academy in Post Falls, said the contests also help students learn how to show good sportsmanship.

His team's solar-powered robot named Gregory was designed to clean up oil spills and trash.